Studio Forza offers accessible, interdisciplinary arts experiences through expert education and performance In Bloomington, Indiana. By engaging in the visual and performing arts, our students learn to harness personal expression and creativity. Our team inspires individuals to develop an understanding and appreciation for the arts in our community.

We can't get enough of this incredible quartet! With the talents of Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, and Stuart Duncan on strings, this music is truly a testament to the incredible things that classically trained musicians can do while having fun!

The most awesome of food holidays is nearly upon us, but how does one handle all of that cooking work? Allrecipes.com totally hit the jackpot with this e-mail blast! We are totally inspired by this easy to follow chart about how to be the hostess with the mostest this Thanksgiving!

This week, we are incredibly excited to share a bit about an amazing organization that has inspired us for a long time: Chamber Music Compania.

"Chamber Music Campania is a cross-disciplinary summer music festival in southern Italy. We invite a select group of fellows (emerging professionals and exceptional students) to participate in a three-week exploration of music-making in the twenty-first century."

Our very own Mike Walker participated in this incredible musical adventure last year. To top it off, Katie Dukes-Walker, Studio Forza co-founder, was recently selected as a new member of the board of directors for the program!

We already posted about this little girl on our Facebook, but she definitely cannot be talked about enough. Her love of music, coupled with her incredible gift is something that even those who know nothing about music can appreciate!

Here at Studio Forza, we are all about helping others unleash the power of their creativity. Where, however, do we draw the inspiration to unleash our own?

The answer...EVERYWHERE! We are constantly looking, learning, and eagerly awaiting the next bit of incredible creativity we witness as a means of funneling that inspiration back to our students.

With that in mind, we intend to use this blog space - aptly named Inspiration Zone - to directly share some of the amazing things that really get us excited about music and art. Be sure to check back regularly, as new posts will pop up all the time.

Congratulations to all of our fantastic students! Our first annual Studio Forza Holiday Recital was a great success.It is so inspiring to see our students take the stage by storm. It was the best holiday gift anyone could ask for. Make sure to attend our next recital this Spring!

Congratulations to our student Lane, who just performed his first recital! We are so proud of his improvement and constantly inspired by his love of music. Here is a quote from his parents Piper and Harry Cohen and a short video of Lane playing guitar:

"Music has opened up a whole new world for Lane. We are so amazed at how
quickly he has caught on to everything that Mike and Katie have taught
him. He can't get enough. He practices at least 3 hours a day on both
his guitar and piano. When he is not practicing, he is looking up new
music and downloading chord sheets from his computer or researching
concerts on his Ipad and studying how other Artists perform their songs.
We are so very thankful that Katie was a substitute for Lane last
school year! It has been such a huge blessing for him and us!!"

This inspiration zone is designed to promote excitement and self motivated learning to our students as well as fellow community members. This blog-style resource is available to everyone interested in learning more about music and the arts. Many conversations, stories, inspirational links, video clips and tips of the trade will be shared on this page. Feel free to contribute and ask questions as we dive into this artistic adventure together!

Hopefully by now, many of you are familiar with the world of TED Talks. If not, here is the deal! TED Talks are "Ideas Worth Spreading." Ideas are shared by enthusiastic professionals that range from the arts to the medical world. My husband and I often find them incredibly inspirational and love to begin our morning routine by watching a TED that intrigues us. This not only allows us to be aware of the amazing things people are contributing to the world, but gives us constant motivation to make the world a better place through our art. Below are some TED talks that particularly inspire me. I hope you enjoy! Feel free to add more to the list!